OPERATION: SHAPESHIFTER
by Peregrinefalcon47
Summary: If you love Splinter Cell, you'll love this story, because Sam takes on mission impossible. If you love Kiesha'ra, you'll hate this story, because Danica gets kidnapped and Zane gets assassinated. But still, you should read it either way.
1. Chapter 1: Infiltration

Disclaimer: I do not own Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' Kiesha'ra book series or Ubi Soft's Splinter Cell game series.

And read the end of chapter 7 for info on Kiesha'ra and Splinter Cell.

**Operation: Shapeshifter**

_**Sam Fisher**_

The sky was dark. Heavy cumulus clouds hid the moon and stars. Looked like a storm was coming, probably with thunder and lightning. I had to hurry if I didn't want to be stranded out here in the rain.

Colonel Irving Lambert, the operations coordinator, came on over the cochlear implant. "Sun's down, and the rain's coming. You better get moving, Fisher. You don't have much time."

"I knew that," I said, creeping forward through the thick grass toward the large structure ahead.

"Remember your objective. You are to sedate and apprehend the avian Tuuli Thea, Danica Shardae. Our sources say she's in the serpiente palace with her mate, Zane Cobriana."

"Mate?"

"Mate, pair bond, whatever. Don't ask me about their terminology. Either way, Zane's probably going to be with her at all times. You might have to deal with him first before getting to Danica."

I stopped behind a large shrub. The silhouette of the palace stood before me. It looked sinister, and evil. I flicked my night vision goggles down over my eyes. The world lit up around me, every tree, blade of grass, and mortar block sharp as day. I scanned the second level balcony for guards.

A female voice came on over the implant. "Sam, there are two guards patrolling the balcony," said Anna Grímsdóttir, the communications leader. "Their names are Ailbhe and Adelina. Both of them are white vipers, so be extra careful. It's likely they can see you even in this darkness."

Damn it. I hate it when stealth doesn't work. I was going to have to make do with what I have.

I asked, "What do they look like?"

"Well, the girl will look like a stripper," replied Vernon Wilkes Junior, the team field runner. "The guy will look like her counterpart."

"Wilkes, shut up," Grímsdóttir said. "Since they're white vipers, their hair will be white, or blond-white. That should help you locate them."

I already had. Or at least had for one of them. The slim figure sauntering along the balcony had long, silky white hair that reached down to her waist. The night vision goggles only served to amplify her appearance.

"I found Adelina."

"Don't move," said Lambert. "She's half snake. That means she has both natural night vision and thermal vision. If you go into the open, she'll spot you instantly and alert the others. Chances are you'll have to snipe her from here."

It was going to be a difficult shot. Adelina was over a hundred feet away. She was moving slowly, but she was already halfway down the walkway. If she reached the end and turned the corner, I might never get another shot at her.

I took out my SC-20K and leveled it against my shoulder. I looked through the scope and centered it on the girl's head. I held my breath, and pulled the trigger.

The shot was barely audible. A spray of blood launched from the girl's temple, where a circular hole was punched in. She gasped, gagged, and crumpled in a heap onto the balcony, blood pooling around her.

"Poor girl," I said.


	2. Chapter 2: Death of the White Viper

_**Adelina**_

Adelina was on her nightly patrol with her brother, Ailbhe. They patrolled the second floor balcony of the serpiente palace, one on either side at all times, keeping a wary eye out for assassins and other hostiles. Tonight, Danica and Zane were staying, so security was further reinforced. Adelina's orders were to notify the guard post of any hostiles or suspicious activity before engaging the enemy.

She turned the corner and began walking down the west side of the balcony. Her thoughts wandered toward the past weeks' events. Despite her Diente's assurances, the public was still tense around their new avian allies. Many thought the peace meant to be forged by Danica and Zane's bond would be short-lived and useless. Some called their actions dangerous and foolish. A select few even started fights and confrontations in the market, which the palace guard had to neutralize. Adelina felt she couldn't trust the avian Tuuli Thea, Danica. Her thoughts kept straying to her putting a knife in her Diente when the guards weren't around. Someday, the golden hawk would hopefully leave the serpiente and their Diente, Zane.

Adelina's thoughts were distracted by a minute flash in the underbrush of the nearby trees. She stared at the shrubs and bushes, her eyes slitting into snake pupils. The world lit up around her. The dark corners and shadows of the trees glowed. She detected a strange warm spot situated behind a large shrub. An assassin? A nighttime creature? The object seemed unnatural. Adelina turned away from the hot spot and proceeded down the walkway. She intended to bring her brother over to the spot and see if he could sense it. If he couldn't, or it disappeared, Adelina would dismiss it as a figment of her imagination. If not, they'd alert the other guards.

The plan fit together perfectly in Adelina's head. She kept walking and was about to turn the corner when a bullet was shot through her head.


	3. Chapter 3: A Terrified Brother

_**Ailbhe**_

He heard something. That was for sure. Ailbhe turned left toward the source of the sound. It was a short, soft _pingk_, sharp and defined to his snake hearing. Ailbhe searched his memory for anything that could make a sound like that. He couldn't come up with anything, and decided instead to find his sister, who should have been near the source of the sound, and ask if she heard anything.

Ailbhe walked down the north side of the balcony at a brisk pace. He turned the corner and saw something that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

He switched to demi-form to strengthen his eyesight, yet the spectacle remained unchanged. The slim, delicate figure of his sister Adelina lay crumpled near the end of the west side balcony. Her weapon lay just out of her arm's reach. She wasn't moving; Ailbhe couldn't detect any breathing. His thermal vision showed that she was still moderately warm. It also showed the massive pool of blood growing around her.

"Oh, god no!"

Ailbhe sprinted down the balcony and knelt by his sister's side. Shaking with emotion, fear, and unshed tears, he rolled her over and shook her frantically. He yelled, "Adelina. Adelina! Can you hear me? Oh, please no, please no." He finally discovered her wound. A circular hole was punched into her right temple. Blood was still pouring out of the wound. He couldn't see any sort of arrow or bolt. It was just that—a circular hole in her head. The tears poured down Ailbhe's face as he realized his dear sister was dead. Killed, maybe assassinated, by someone out there.

The thought of an assassin nearby brought him to his senses. He gently lay down his sister, praying for her and vowing to find and execute her killer himself. Little did he know that the killer was standing right behind him.

Before he could sense a presence, an arm was thrown around his throat and Ailbhe was dragged backwards. Reeling from the sudden attack, he went into attack mode, his eyes turning into slits, his fangs lengthening. He tried to sink those fangs into his attacker, but the headlock only grew tighter. A cold, metal object was pressed to the side of his head.

"One false move and your brains get blown, just like your sister," a dark, growling voice threatened. Ailbhe found himself shocked with fear. The smell of human surrounded his captor, while his voice froze him in place. "I'm gonna ask you a few questions, and if you know what's right, you're gonna answer them. Understand?"

The language was fast, strange, and abbreviated, but Ailbhe still got the message. He prepared himself mentally to keep all valuable information within.

The voice said, "Where's your Diente?"

Ailbhe stayed silent. In return, his windpipe was squeezed shut by his captor. The voice continued. "I'm gonna ask again. Where's your Diente?"

Struggling for breath, Ailbhe summoned his strength and shifted quickly into full viper form. The voice barked a sharp curse, but somehow, the human (Ailbhe was sure this hostile was a human) managed to keep hold on him. They fell to the ground, Ailbhe trying to bite the human, the human trying to hold on to his slippery body. A dead-weight was pressed against Ailbhe's head, directly behind the head. He found himself unable to move his head or use his fangs. A split second after, his whipping body was trapped by the human's body.

"Damn it, snake. Answer me! Where is your Diente, Zane?"

Ailbhe held stoically to his silence. However, all of that changed the instant a searing, hot liquid was poured on his viper scales. He hissed in pain. So painful, so painful.

"Where is he, viper?"

"Aghh! He's in…the dining hall. Eating—ahh—with…the Tuuli…Thea…Danica." Ailbhe shifted involuntarily back into human form. He took a strained breath and gasped, "Please don't kill me. Please!"

He heard the voice chuckle and say, "Thank you, Ailbhe. You made the right choice."

Ailbhe was wondering how this human knew his name. But then, his world was crushed into darkness by a cold, heavy object.


	4. Chapter 4: Distraction

_**Sam Fisher**_

I slowly climbed to my feet, panting hard from exertion. After resting for a few seconds, I stooped down, picked up the unconscious viper, and dragged him to the shadowy corner where his sister lay. I dropped the viper next to his sister, whose blood was already staining his guard uniform.

It was a daunting task getting up onto the second floor balcony that took more luck than skill. I had to climb on top of several wooden crates, sling the grappling hook over the balcony ledge, and climb up, all without making a sound. Then, I had to wait in the shadows for the viper, not daring to breath for fear of being heard. Truth was, had it not been for the sight of his dead sister, the viper probably would have detected me anyway with his thermal vision. His grief and emotions distracted him enough for me to grab, wrestle, and interrogate him. Still, it was hard work.

"Looks like we've got our target located now," said Lambert, "and apparently, that alcohol Wilkes gave you served useful."

I smiled. Alcohol could make any snake recoil, especially if it was squeezing you. Before, when the avians and serpiente fought, the avians had a special poison dubbed "falcon poison" that was lethal to the snakes. This poison was allegedly produced by the falcons, who were revered as magicians. That poison was alcohol. It's a wonder that neither the avians nor the powerful falcons realized the poison was actually a party drink.

I crept along the balcony, headed for the stairway down into the palace. In the meantime, Grímsdóttir pulled up a blueprint of the serpiente palace. I never knew how she got the schematics when this place theoretically didn't "exist", but her instructions proved invaluable.

"Okay, Sam—"

"Shhh, quiet down," I whispered. There was no telling who was around every shadowy corner.

"Sorry," she replied. "The stairway is on the east side of the building. It will lead to the main hallway at the bottom. You'll be pretty exposed at the bottom of those stairs, so keep low and silent until you find more cover."

Sidling along the walls, I eventually made it to the doorway. Dim candle light lit the bottom landing of the stairs. I bent double and moved down the stairs, one soundless step at a time, and flicked my night vision goggles over my eyes. I considered using the thermal vision instead, but Lambert convinced me otherwise.

"You're dealing with people who are half snake, Fisher. As far as we know, they are actually cold-blooded."

"I've no doubt about that," I said, remembering the fight the viper put up. These snakes are nasty.

"However, it's the opposite with the avians. They have an elevated heart rate and body temperature instead. If you want to spot any of those guys, you could use the thermal vision, but I wouldn't recommend it."

I reached the bottom landing. There was no one in the hallway. Looking around with my night vision, I saw two guards by the main entry to my left. The soft sound of footsteps alerted me to another guard patrolling to my right. She was calmly walking down a smaller corridor that presumably led to the dining hall and the rest of the palace rooms. I returned to the two entry guards and, listening closely, found they were chatting quietly rather than dozing. Had they been normal people, I could have taken the guard in the corridor without the other two noticing. But these snakes had honed senses. There was no way I could take a guard without alerting the others.

I needed a distraction.

I sidled along the wall toward the two entry guards, making sure to stay silent and in the shadows. I stopped thirty feet short of them. I carefully reached down and pulled out an emergency flare. With the flare at the ready, I lit it and hurled it above and past the two guards. The flashing light and heat of the flare took the guards by surprise. They recoiled from the glare, shouting in consternation, while the female guard in the corridor sprinted toward them to see what was going on. I crept back toward the bottom landing of the stairs while the flare distracted the three guards. I had to hurry, because those guards were certainly going to alert the others. I had to be gone by then.

I took out a fireproof rag and headed through the corridor, extinguishing the candles as I went. I reached a turn in the corridor and hid around it, looking back to make sure I hadn't been noticed. More guards had appeared around the flare, which was still going strong. That was good, but they would eventually figure out how to put out the flare. I finally realized the double-edged sword I created. Those guards aren't dumb; they'll start scouting the area for a perpetrator—namely me—and most likely evacuate everyone in the area for their safety, including Danica and Zane.

I headed through the dark corridor, my night vision keeping me from any head-on collisions. Eventually, I reached a large doorway. Peering inside the room, I found dozens of tables and a circular dais. This was apparently the dining hall, where the royalty ate and the dancers entertained their crowds, but I couldn't see anyone in the room.

"Seems like they finished dinner early," I whispered quietly. "Grím, any insights on where they went?"

"It's pretty late. The Tuuli Thea would probably be in the bed chamber with her mate. Just follow the corridor and take the final room on the right. Careful, there'll be servants and guards around."

Even in the darkness, I felt way too exposed in the corridor. Instinctively, I stepped into the dining hall. "Is there any other way to get through the palace?"

"Sorry Sam, but the blueprints I have aren't too detailed," said Grím. "I don't believe you have another—wait, hold on." There was a pause, and then she said, "There's a basic ventilation chute running the length of the building, between the first and second floors. There's an entrance to the vent system in the kitchen to your left."

I went into the kitchen. There were cooking knives and other cutlery lying on the counters, as well as a few pots and pans. No food, though. These people kept good care of their kitchen's tidiness.

The vent was more of a hole. It was small, about two feet wide, and was halfway up the wall. I pulled myself into the vent and began commando crawling forward. "Where am I now, Grím?"

"You're pretty close to the bed chamber now. The only problem," she said, sounding uneasy, "is that the vent system doesn't go directly into the bed chamber. The closest it gets is the office next to it. I think it's the guard general's office."

Lambert piped in, saying, "Our sources confirmed that the guard general is an avian named Andreios. This office of his in the serpent palace is pretty new. We're not sure if he's using it yet."

I listened to all of this as I crawled along the stone airway. Despite the expertise of my support team and my state-of-the-art technology, I had a nerve-wracking feeling that this mission would more than easily end in disaster.


	5. Chapter 5: Knocked Out

_**Andreios**_

Andreios thought this night was turning into a headache. So many things were happening on an evening he would rather spend with Danica in the serpiente palace.

He had just returned from a dance lesson with A'isha. He found the lessons surprisingly enjoyable, considering his upbringing as an emotionally reserved avian, but they were also tiring. He was about to head into his office, thinking about the recent violent activity among the avians and serpiente, when a palace guard came rushing down the hall. She was screaming about a strange, uncontrollable fire raging near the palace doors. It turned out to be an exaggeration of what appeared to be a burning stick. The stick had a strange bright pink glow and emitted a staggering amount of heat, so much that at first no one was able to get close enough—or not willing to get close enough—to put out the flame. The origin of the stick was unknown, which struck Andreios as suspicious, but for the most part he believed that this was a prank, at most a pathetic attempt at arson. He would make sure to talk with Zane and convince him to step up security. Hopefully, that would mean the end of such late night headaches.

The palace guards were fanning out now, searching for someone who could have caused this commotion. Andreios, on the other hand, headed back to his office. He considered talking with the Tuuli Thea immediately of the security breach, but decided against it. She would probably know already. He would have a more in-depth talk with her tomorrow.

He opened the door to his office and was surprised to find the office dark, the candle unlit. Had one of the servants forgotten to light it? He felt his way through the darkness toward the candle, which was placed on his desk. The tip still felt warm; perhaps the candle had gone out on a draft from the ventilation chute. Andreios made a mental note to place the candle away from the chute entrance, which was close to his desk.

He took out a spare match and lit the candle. It took him a moment to register that someone else was in the room.

A man crouched at a corner of the office. He was clothed in all black, and had strange pockets on him. He had black hair and a strange headset on his forehead. Andreios couldn't tell whether the man was avian or serpiente. What he could tell was that the man was holding a long, elongated object in both of his hands. The object had two long barrels pointing at him.

Before Andreios could react, the man said, "Next time, keep the lights off."

There was a soft _pingk_ sound, and Andreios's world blacked out.


	6. Chapter 6: Kidnapped!

_**Danica Shardae**_

Tonight would be the night it would all go wrong.

It started after dinner. Zane and I had wandered though the market for a few minutes before heading inside for the night. We were both relaxed and happy, though thoughts of the recent violent activity in the market plagued us. We were in the bed chamber for perhaps twenty minutes when there was a knock on our door.

"Come in," said Zane, sending me a quizzical look.

A palace guard came in. "Well?" asked Zane.

"There's been a…commotion…of some sort near the palace doors, sir," answered the guard.

Zane tried his best to hide a groan of annoyance, but ultimately failed. I looked over at him, then at the guard, before saying, "Do continue."

As it turned out, the commotion was anything but the normal talk we heard about fights between avians and serpiente. "There was this…flaming stick…that was thrown over our heads. It began flashing really bright. We couldn't look at it or go near it, because the stick was also burning hot." The guard paused, looked at me momentarily, and said, "It was your Royal Flight general Andreios who eventually put out the fire."

I understood why. Being serpiente, the guards had enhanced senses of sight, smell, and touch. This could backfire on them, however, if whatever they encountered was really hot or flashed brightly, as it would overload there keen senses. The palace guards were brave soldiers, but I had a feeling they called for Andreios mainly out of fear. Intense heat had a way of bothering serpiente.

Zane said, "Are you searching for a suspect right now?"

"We are, although we don't have a clear person in mind. No one saw who threw the stick."

"Then keep searching, and make sure to spread the news of a potential arsonist. Is that all?"

"Yes," said the guard.

After he left, I got up from my seat by the nightstand and walked to Zane's side. He suddenly seemed tired. I put my arm around his waist and asked, "What's bothering you?"

"All of this. The fighting, the hatred…it won't go away. It's making life for us harder than necessary."

We had had this talk many times before. I also wished our two people could accept their differences and be friendly toward each other. Our bond was one crucial step, but it still seemed that we stayed separated.

I didn't feel like having the talk right then. I leaned on Zane's shoulder and closed my eyes. "Why don't we talk about this subject later?"

Zane didn't answer. Instead, he put his arm around me. We sat there for a few moments, ignoring our troubles, just happy that we had each other for comfort.

That would be my last moment of happiness with Zane, possibly for the rest of my life.

Zane looked up. I asked, "What is it now?" in a dreary, sleepy voice.

He paused, before saying, "I'm not sure. I thought I heard something—"

His head was suddenly punched backwards while a sickening spray of blood launched from his temple. He gagged, moaned, and slumped forward.

Shocked by what had just happened, I began to scream for the guard. But my scream was abruptly cut short by a black figure that dashed across the room, slammed me against the wall, and clasped a hand over my mouth. An ominous, L-shaped object was pressed long point forward against my forehead.

I quickly looked over my captor. I wasn't a serpiente, but I could still detect the odor of human coming of the man. He was dressed in all black and had strange pockets all over him. A strange headset was tied on his forehead. The man was strong, strong enough to hold me in place with one hand and use his body to keep me from kicking or lashing out. I feared that I was about to be raped, but that was not what happened.

The man leaned in next to my left ear and growled, "Not a sound, avian." He paused (probably for effect), before saying, "Answer my question and you'll live to see your friends."

I chanced a look down, and nearly vomited at the sight. In the struggle, Zane was knocked to the ground. Blood was pooling around him on the floor of the bed chamber. It seemed to be coming from a circular hole in his temple. His garnet cobra eyes had already clouded over. My mate was dead.

Another scream rose in my throat, but my captor kept it from coming out. Still holding me against the wall, he asked, "Are you Danica Shardae, Tuuli Thea of the avians and Naga of the serpiente? Mate," he paused, seemingly mocking me, "of the recently deceased Zane Cobriana?"

I couldn't speak. In my shock, I nodded at the human's question.

The man chuckled darkly. He seemed to possess the very essence of darkness and cruelty. He spun me around so that he was holding me against him. He leaned forward again and said, "Now, I want you to shape shift into your full hawk form. Got it? Do it, now."

The command was so cold that I never thought twice, either of how he knew who I was and what I could do, or of resisting the command. My body shrank as feathers appeared on my skin. A pair of golden wings sprouted from my back, startling (to my satisfaction) my captor, who moved back. He was eventually forced to kneel in order to keep hold of my hawk body. I could have stabbed him with my razor-sharp beak and forced him to let go of me, but the pure terror of the moment kept me docile. I was a proud golden hawk, yet I was as helpless as a newborn chick.

I heard a rustling sound from behind me. The L-shaped object disappeared, only to be replaced by an even larger object. This object also had a protruding tip—two, as a matter of fact.

"Thank you, madam," the man said in his malicious jeering way.

I felt something enter my side, where the object was pressed against me. There was a sharp sting of pain, then numbness, as I felt my hawk body crumple to the floor, next to my dead alistair.


	7. Chapter 7: Escaping the Snakes

_**Sam Fisher**_

"I've got Danica now. She's out cold," I said into the cochlear implant.

"Excellent work, Fisher," commended Lambert. "That was smart thinking of you to force her to shift into hawk form. She won't be a hundred-pound dead weight anymore."

I chuckled. "I just have a way with ladies."

"Now it's time to get out of there. You are to leave through an underground tunnel nearby. According to Grímsdóttir, this tunnel is in one of the servants' rooms. It will lead to the dancer's nest, where you can make your escape without alerting the palace guard."

Cradling the unconscious hawk, I took out the optic cable and slid it beneath the bed chamber door. The guard was still standing outside the door, unaware of what happened to his king and queen. I looked around the room. There was a mirror, several comfy chairs plus the sofa, and a clay mug on the nightstand. I walked over to the nightstand and picked up the mug. After gently laying down Danica, I took out my SC-20K and loaded a second ring airfoil projectile into the launcher barrel, having used the first one to knock out the guard general, Andreios, a few moments ago. I set the gun on the nightstand, aimed at the door, and threw the mug as hard as I could at the wall. It shattered into dozens of pieces with an ear-piercing crack. The guard busted in through the door, his weapon drawn, prepared for any intruder.

Except me.

I fired the launcher. The metal ring smacked dead-on into the serpent's forehead. He crumpled to the ground, a crimson ring appearing on his face where the ring hit. I picked up the stray ring and pocketed it. I might never know when I'll need it.

Shoving the limp guard inside the room, I slipped into the dark corridor, the hawk once again in the crook of my arms. Flicking on my night vision, I opened the door directly across from the bed chamber. No one was inside. I quietly checked the room for a false door or opening, but there wasn't one. Looking around the room apprehensively, I asked, "Grím, do you know which room the tunnel opening is in?"

"Hmm…I'm pretty sure it's in the next room up the corridor," she replied.

I silently exited the room and entered the next one, which was also empty. "The entrance should be somewhere along the far wall," said Grím. "Look for anything suspicious."

My night vision didn't reveal anything, so I felt along the wall, sensitive to every bump and crack. I found a crack halfway that came up perpendicular to the ground, arched, and came back down a few feet away. The crack was too straight to be natural. I pushed, and a section of wall gave way to an even darker corridor. My night vision, which relied on amplifying existing low light, barely lit the corridor.

My relief at finding the escape route was short-lived. From outside the room came a muffled, "The intruder's in here!" Oh dang, my cover was blown.

"Run, Fisher, Run!" Lambert yelled. I sprinted into the corridor just as the door was flung open. Looking back, I saw a young woman—shockingly similar to Zane Cobriana—and half a dozen guards. Their snake night vision detected me immediately, and they came after me. I ran down the corridor, which gradually sloped down. There was a sharp curve, which I barely took without slamming into the opposing wall. Legs pumping furiously, I could hear the light, agile serpents closing in on me, their unusually quiet steps practically drowned out by the sound of my pounding army boots. Up ahead, the corridor sloped up to a dim light. I went for it as fast as I could, but the young women I saw earlier caught up beforehand, grabbing my arm and trying to sink her fangs into it.

She was a fast runner, sure, but I was a fast fighter. In one fluid movement, I wrenched my arm out of her grasp and elbowed her in the face with my other arm, the impact so strong my joint screamed in pain. (It's a wonder how I did this all while still holding on to the knocked out hawk.) The women shrieked and fell to the floor, moaning, blood gushing from an apparent nosebleed. Hoping she would deter the guards, I sprinted toward the light. Too late, I came out of the corridor and ran into a wall. It slowed me down temporarily, but I soon regained balance and ran up a staircase to my left.

"Sam, wait! You're running into the—" Grím's warning didn't stop me in time. I reached the top of the stairs and ran down a short hall into a large room. There was a fire in the center, where dozens of serpiente were sitting. A couple danced on a nearby dais. The audience was so entranced by the dancers that I probably could have burst in, vaulted over their heads, and run out of the dancer's nest without anyone knowing.

But, unfortunately, being the snakes they were, they noticed me, and they got to their feet, blocking the exit. They yelled out in startled panic. My next move came from a mix of fear, adrenaline, and instinct. I scooped a CS gas canister grenade from its place on my back, primed it, and tossed it at a serpiente, who dodged the grenade with amazing speed. The grenade exploded and the room was instantly filled with 0-chlorobenzalmalononitrile gas. I fell to the floor and crawled beneath the swirling, gray gas, while the serpiente around me began coughing and gagging on the noxious fumes. I got to the fire before I risked getting up and running for the door in a half crouch. Somehow, I got out. I breathed in the fresh night air, before dashing off into the woods to my right. I hid behind a tree trunk before checking my handiwork.

"Woah. Man, those gas grenades are so much stronger indoors," said Wilkes.

"Wilkes, where are you?"

"Just keep going in through the woods. You'll reach a meadow, where we'll have the chopper waiting for you."

"Fisher, you still have Danica, don't you?" asked Lambert.

I unraveled the golden hawk. Aside from messed up feathers, the girl was fine. "I've got her. She's not gonna wake up on me, is she?"

"Naw, that sedative is pretty strong, should keep her out of it for a couple more hours," Wilkes replied.

I headed into the forest, away from the pandemonium and chaos I had caused with one pull of a gas grenade pin. Five minutes later, as the first drops of rain began dropping from the sky, I walked into the meadow. The chopper stood in the center, its whirling blades the only sound I could hear. A searchlight was aimed at me, confirming my identity. The blinding light reminded me that I still had my night vision goggles on. I took them off upon reaching the chopper and being helped up into the cabin.

Wilkes good-heartedly slapped me on the back. "That was pretty nasty, huh? Let's take a look at our girl."

I retrieved the Tuuli Thea from my arms and spread her out for Wilkes to see. Her vibrant, golden feathers stood out in the darkness, while her wingspan reached a good six feet in length. Her yellow beak and black talons were sharp as scimitars. In a way, the queen of the avians was beautiful, yet fearsome, in her hawk form.

"Isn't she a beauty," Wilkes murmured, "I bet she's even hotter when human."

"Mission accomplished, Fisher," said Lambert. "I think you could use some R&R after this one."

I smiled. "Alright. Let's go."

**End of Story**

A/N: Since this crossover is between a fantasy love series and a spy game, chances are that you, the reader, may not know anything about the romance book series, or the spy game, or both. I'll do a little explaining.

Kiesha'ra is a fantasy romance book series about the lives of shapeshifiting humans. There are the avians, who can morph into songbirds and hawks, the serpiente, who morph into snakes, the falcons, who morph into different species of falcons and possess unusual magic, and a variety of other morphs such as lions, tigers, and wolves. The story follows two of the people, the avians and the serpiente. The two groups have been warring for nearly two thousand years, and the queen of the avians, Danica Shardae, wants to stop the killing. In order to do so, she has to take the serpiente king, Zane Cobriana, as her "husband", much to the dismay of her people. Operation: Shapeshifter takes place in the later part of the first book of the series, called Hawksong, when Danica and Zane attempt to keep the peace between their two people.

Splinter Cell is a spy game based on counter-terrorism. Sam Fisher is an elite operative of the NSA, the National Security Administration. His job: to ensure the protection and safety of America and American citezins. Outfitted with the latest state-of-the-art spy equipment and years of experience inflitrating hostile territory, Sam is more than capable of entering the enemy base, obtaining key information, and exiting, all without leaving a trace of his existence. His backup team at home consists of Colonel Irving Lambert, Vernon Wilkes Junior, and Anna Grimstoddir, who help him in his missions. Operation: Shapeshifter doesn't have a determined setting in the timeline of the game series. To clear things up, the gadgets, guns, and characters are taken from the original Splinter Cell game.

So what do you get when you mix a luvey-dubey romance story with hot, shapeshifting people, with a spy game starring a professional James Bond agent, intent on kidnapping the queen? You get...well...this story.


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